The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-03-03
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught BIZ q StudJ OF the Inter-
national Sunday school Lesson Appointed for
March 13. Gen., IS :10-ss


study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated above.l
SUBJECT: JACOB AT BETHEL.
Last week we studied the account of Abra-
ham and Isaac ut Mt. Moriah. That took US
back to the year 2l33 A. N. Abraham was
then 125 years old and Isaac 40. Twelve years
afterward Sarah, aged 1T years, died (23: ~
at Hebron. (2.) Then Abraham bought Mach
pelah cave and field for buriai-place. (23 B.
20) Three years after Sarah's death, Abraham
being 40 years old, l24: 81 5; % 20.) Isaac
married Rebekah. (Chap. pa Thirty-fye
years pessed and Abraham died at Beersheba,
aged 17o years, and was buried in the cave of
Maehpelah. 25:7-10) At Abrahams death
Ishmael was 80 years old, Isaac 70, and Jacob
and Esau each 10.
The principal events between the virtual
sacrifice of Jacob on Mt. Moriah and our pres
ent lesson were the death of Sarah; the pur-
chase by Abraham of the burial ground known
as Machpelah the marriage of Isaac to Re-
bekah !. Abraham's death and his burial at
Machpelah; the births of Esau and Jacob; the
selling by Esau to Jacob of his birthright; the
marriage of Esau; Isaac's blessing of Jacob
instead of Esau through the deception of Jacob
and his mother. and the consequent fury Of
Esau, who became fully determined to murder
his brother. Jacob was forced to flee for his
life Isaac, probably considering the cireum-
stances, furnished pretext for Jacobs de-
parture by sending him to Abraham's Eastern
home, in MesOpotamia, and directing him to
secure wife there, and charging him not to
marry Canaanite woman.
The date Of the present lesson may be put in
the year 222i A. NJ. The purposed sacrifice of
Isaac was in the year 2133 A. NJ. Hence, the
interval between the two lessons is 81 years.
Isaac was Il6 years old, Jacob and Esau about
So, when Jacob set out for Chadean wife.
Jacobs startpoint was Beersheba. (28: 10)
Padan-aram was about 500 miles northeast. In
"a /: 10 the region is called Mesopotamia. Abra-
ham, in anxiety that Isaac should not marry a
Cauaante, sent an agent to the city of his rela-
tiyes in Chaldea to choose wife for his son.
t24:2.) The names of Bethuel, Micah and
Major are mentioned. "a: Isl Majors city
was Ur. III :2S, 29) And that was in Chal-
dea. 11:2S.) When Jacob arrived in Padan-
aram he found the house of Bethuel. (2S:2
So this territory was called MesopOtamia. acts,
1879 Chaldea, (Aets, 7:4,) and Padan-aram.
In some sense it seems the name Syria applied
even ut that distance. In % 8 Bethuel is styled
| Syrian. Then compare Hos, 12:12
The first place named as a stopping place OF
| Jacob is Bethel. 1t is 81 miles north of Beer
sheba- He could not have reached it the first
| day out ON his journey. 1t is not unlikely the
| night spent by him at Bethel was his third
! night on the trip. He probably went on foot.
| The name Of the place before Jacob sstOp there
was Luz. (2S:19; Jud., :22, %, 26.) The
name now borne by the place was a name grow
/ ing out of Jacobs experience, viz, Bethel
meaning the house Of God, the place where God
/ appeared in special manner to the patriarch
4 Bethel was IL miles north of Jerusalem. One
| leaving the Capital of Palestine for GalileC
/ through Samaria passes the ruins of Bethel a
/ little distance to the right Of the road.
Rebekah saw the necessity for Jacob tC
( escape quick as possible from BeeTsheba- She
| brought the matter to the attention Of Isaac
/ She expressed fear their son might marry q
/ heather woman, and urged Isaac to send jacob
to her old home in the hope he might find g
/ wife in Mesopotamia. "a 49, Haran OSLO
was p miles south of Ur.
Jacob slept out Of doors. To elevate the head
he used a stone for sort of pillow, probably
1 spreading u blanket over the stone and the
I ground making bed. He fell asleep. Doubt
less he was in troubled frame Of mind. HI,
had fed from home to escape the murderou:
design of his brother Esau. He might never
see father and mother again. He was conscou:
| Of his very unfair treatment OF his brother
His trip to Padanar was attended by many
periIs He was alone. He was, indeed, in
distressing state of mind. 1t is no wonder b,
realized his weakness, aud prayed. (35: 3.
| God answered his prayer in the form Of
dream. Jacob thought he saw a ladder reach
ing from Heaven to earth, with Angels ascend
ing and descending: descending to find out hi
wants, and ascending to get supplies. est. John
1:5l.l He likewise supposed he saw anC
heard Jehovah. (35: 1; :24.l God had be
fore appeared to Isaac, (26:24,) and also t
| Abram. (13:A; 15:1.) Jehovah knew tn,
state of Jacobs mind and suited promises &C
cordingly. The birthright sold by EsaG wa
the right in special TO the promises made Z
Abram, and to be inherited by his offspring
The promise of land (V. 49, WAS only re
newal of that made to Abram 136 years before
| u5:7,) and repeated again and again to him
But the land was promised to Abraham and t
his seed. (35: l2.) Hence it was shared b,
Isaac. l26:3) The promise to Jacob of nu
| merous progeny was also n renewal Of promise
to Abraham and Isaac. li3 10; &c: "A Th
promise of q very extensive country was ear
ried down from Abraham and Isaac. (13: IA
26:4. Compare Deu., CO., So also of tn
promise that all nations should be blesset
through Abraham and his family. (12: Is: Is
%: 15; 26:4.) Further, for Jacobs comfort
Jehovah promises to be with him. So he as
sured Isaac. &c: 81. Compare Deu., 81 6, 8.
Then comes the promise of protection. (Y. ID
As: 16; Ps., 121 ), 49, To sustain him he ha
Jehovah's pledge of a safe return from his lon
and perilous journey. Gen, 30: s, shows tn
promise was fulfilled. (Nu., %: 49,
In Jocob's condition these promises wer
precious. They were adapted to his wants. I'm
he is assured all the territory shall be hi.
Without as yet wife, he is promised progen
like dust and stars as To multitude Alone .
to the human, he has the company Of Angels
With none TO whom to speak, Jehovah enter
into conversation with him. Apparently fol
saken, he finds God is his companion. Will
out possession of property, he learns he is to in
herit all the wealth of Isaac. Greatly di.
turbed in mind, he is eomforted from HEAVIER
Without sanctuary. he is permitted to worshi
God with earth and sky for temple.
The conscious presence Of God wrought
Jacob that deep feeling of reverence which
mortal must realize when granted such int
macy as is implied by the seeing and hearin
of Deity. ". II. See Tx, 3: 3; JOSH, 5: Is
Another effect Of the personal presence of Go
is deep consciousness of sin. They who hay
done evil become afraid. (V. H.
The scenes and events of Bethel were yer
q significant. Jacob would keep them in min
The subjective is made more effective in men
ory if materialized. 81: IS, 40; 80: H. ThO
: were precious promises. 1t was well JacC
: never forgot them. 1t is natural to desire on
ward and visible signs of inward and spiritu
I graces. Having set up the stone, he wou
' have it remain, and not be used for any ord
|. nary purpose. 1t was the custom in earl
. times, when things, places, or persons were S
apart for any sacred purpose, to anoint them
p a religious, eonsecrating act. lev, s i.
n Gen, 50: A.
\ God promised to be with Jacob all throus
his travels and sec him safely back to BethC
> (V. Isl aft" in V. 20, seems sceptical.
was not Jacobs design TO strike a bargain vii
God, though the language sounds like ga